Vietnamese food is as strikingly different as the country's geography, and blends together the influences of its long history. Rice is the cornerstone of the diet, as it is almost everywhere in Asia. However, noodles come a close second. Fish, seafood and chicken are common throughout the country. Herbs, spices and vegetables play a major role in Vietnamese food..

Eat to your heart's content in Vietnam! Enjoy fresh seafood and chicken preparations.

Just reading our Hanoi \restaurant guide below will make you hungry! So, after an exciting Hanoi Shopping spree, there is nothing better than to relax in beautiful surroundings and taste a variety of dishes to your heart's content. Our Vietnam Restaurant page will give you an insight into other national cuisine.

Hanoi Cuisine & Food Guide

Most hotels in Vietnam usually have a restaurant. Small guesthouses or hotels in Vietnam may not. Each Vietnam hotel page shows if they have a restaurant.

Throughout Vietnam, dishes are usually all served at the same time, if there is enough room on the table! Chopsticks are used, sometimes together with a spoon or fork. Knives are generally for preparation only and not considered cutlery, although if your food keeps "escaping", you can ask for a knife and fork.

Meals in Vietnam are communal and convivial. Vietnamese diners select dishes by consensus. Food is shared from a common plate but eaten from individual bowls. Condiments are used to "season" dishes to the diner's taste.

Other than formal dinners, dining etiquette is generally more relaxed the further south you travel. It is polite to wait for the host to invite people to eat. The host will usually dish out the first portions, and younger people will also do this for their elders as a mark of respect. Other than that, there are few hard and fast rules. Just watch what others do.

Many may claim that Hanoi and northern Vietnamese cuisine in general does not compare to that of the south but there is still plenty of interesting fare out there for adventurous consuming. Keep an open mind and have a strong stomach. Hanoi also has a good selection of international cuisine.

Hanoi pho is a bit different from southern - the broth is less sweet than Saigonese pho, the noodles are flatter and they don't use hoisin sauce as a condiment. Traditionally this soup is eaten for breakfast but it is also available for lunch and dinner and even in the middle of the night. Like on the plane - your choice of chicken or beef.

Cha ca can be found on 14 Cha Ca and 28 Luong Van Can Streets - this Hanoian specialty involves pieces of fish fillets that are grilled and then fried in a clay cooker at your table with dill and scallions and eaten with rice noodles and fish sauce. Bun cha - small grilled patties of ground pork with rice noodles, found in little stalls all over the city. Oc Hap Chanh - minced lake snails mixed with ground pork, stuffed in a snail shell with a lime leaf, steamed and eaten dipped in a ginger fish sauce. Oc Hap Thuoc Bac - lake snails steamed in a spicy concoction of Chinese medicinal herbs, can be found most famously in a few lakeside restaurants in the Quan Ba area of Tay Ho. Thit Cay/Cho - dog meat dishes - found in restaurants on Au Co Street, particularly Nhat Tan area. Thit ran - a specialty of the snake village (Lang Ran Le Mat) in Gia Lam involves a live snake, snake alcohol and some snake dishes. Lychee season is May and June - fresh, juicy lychees are sold in 1 kilo bunches everywhere. The Culture Tour Perfect for getting a real feel for Vietnamese and Hanoian culture and tradition. For an intimate view of the old Vietnamese psyche, read a translation of the Vietnamese classic Tale of Kieu (Chuyen Kieu by Nguyen Du) - preferably while sitting next to a lake, in a park, on the grounds of a quiet temple or some inspiring location like the Temple of Literature.

Regional Influences

The Chinese influence can easily be seen in a Vietnamese meal in the north. The use of soy sauce is more prevalent, beef is popular and hearty soups and stews help stave off the winter chill.

Central Vietnamese food is fit for a King! Well, an Emperor at least. The influence of the former Imperial court in Hue on local food is seen in the sometimes elaborate and complex dishes. The inventiveness of Court chefs is all the more remarkable when one understands central Vietnam is the agriculturally poorest region of the country.

Southern meals feature the widest range of ingredients and are usually accompanied by a light, clear broth to cleanse the palate. Pork and chicken are popular, and chillies are used extensively. Southern food can be very spicy!